HARTFORD, CT - Governor Dannel P. Malloy on Friday announced that the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) will accept and process the applications to register assault weapons and large capacity magazines that are believed to have been submitted to the state agency by the statutory deadline but were not received by that date.

In a letter to DESPP Commissioner Dora B. Schriro, Governor Malloy’s General Counsel Luke Bronin informed the commissioner that after consulting with the Office of the Attorney General, he has concluded that the agency has the discretion to accept applications received after January 1, 2014, if the department has reason to believe that an applicant attempted to submit the paperwork by the statutory deadline for reasons beyond the control of both the applicant and DESPP.

Bronin clarified, “For example, if an application to register a weapon was signed and notarized on or before January 1, 2014, or an application to register a high capacity magazine was signed and accompanied by an affidavit that was dated on or before such date, the department may treat such applications as timely submissions. Similarly, if the department has reason to believe that an application was deposited in a mailbox or at a post office on December 31, 2013, but the post office closed early or did not collect the deposited mail that day, then that application may be deemed a timely submission.”

In response, Commissioner Schriro today informed legislative leadership that the agency will accept the applications “if the Department has a reasonable belief: (1) that an applicant complied with the terms of the act by attempting to submit the application on or before January 1, 2014, and (2) that the application was not received by DESPP by that deadline due to circumstances beyond the applicant’s control.”

Accordingly, DESPP will accept 160 Assault Weapon Certificate Applications signed and notarized on or before January 1, 2014 and postmarked by January 4, 2014. The agency will also accept 398 Large Capacity Magazine Declarations signed and notarized (when warranted) on or before January 1, 2014 and postmarked by January 4, 2014.
DESPP will contact the persons who submitted applications and declarations that were signed and notarized after the January 1, 2014 deadline to advise them of the four means by which the weapons and ammunition should be disposed.